Art. 9 of Federal Law No. 149‑FZ stipulates that restrictions on access to information may be imposed by federal legislation and by acts of the President of the Russian Federation for the purposes of safeguarding the foundations of the constitutional order, public morality and health, the rights and lawful interests of others, and of ensuring national defence and state security.
It is reported that there have been numerous instances of the blocking of commercial web content in Russia in recent years, many of which remain in effect. These measures have included both nationwide and region-specific restrictions on major online platforms and communication services, as outlined below:
- The Russian authorities initiated platform restrictions with the centralised throttling of X on 26 February 2022, subsequently escalating to directives requiring internet service providers to fully block Facebook, X, and Instagram on 4 March 2022. All three platforms remained inaccessible in Russia as of 2025.
- Signal was blocked nationwide in Russia beginning on 9 August 2024, with the restriction continuing into 2025.
- Discord was blocked across the Russian Federation from 8 October 2024, and the block remained in effect throughout 2025.
- Viber was blocked nationally from December 2024, with the restriction persisting into 2025.
- YouTube was blocked in nearly all regions of Russia from 15 December 2024. The block remained in place in 2025.
- Telegram was confirmed to have been blocked in the Republic of Dagestan by 7 March 2025, with additional reports indicating that the application had been blocked in Chechnya and Ingushetia since October 2024.
- On 13 August 2025, Russian authorities ordered nationwide restrictions on call functionalities within WhatsApp and Telegram.
- FaceTime and Snapchat were blocked in Russia beginning on 4 December 2025.

Under Art. 3.4 of Federal Law No. 272‑FZ, where the activities of a Russian media organisation are prohibited or restricted within the territory of a foreign state, the Russian Federation may adopt reciprocal measures by prohibiting or restricting the activities of a foreign media organisation registered in that state and disseminating its content within the Russian Federation, including via the Internet. Additionally, pursuant to Art. 56.2 of the Law on Mass Media, the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, or their deputies, is authorised to order the suspension of a media outlet’s activities where it is established that the outlet has disseminated specified categories of content. In this context, it was reported that on 25 June 2024 the Russian government prohibited the operation of 81 European media outlets in response to European Union sanctions imposed on three Russian media companies, with the measures affecting a broad range of entities, including newspapers, radio and television broadcasters, and online media outlets from the majority of EU Member States, a situation that continued to be reported in 2025.

According to Law No. 139-FZ, the Russian state is authorised to block drug-related content, extremist material, and other information deemed illegal within the country. Reports indicate that to implement the provisions of Law No. 139-FZ, the Russian government employs online filtering protocols, including the Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) surveillance system.
In addition to the provisions of Law No. 139-FZ, telecommunication operators and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are permitted to block various types of network traffic, provided they adhere to relevant legislation and agreements with users or beneficiaries. Since 2012, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) has maintained a Single Register of domain names, web page indices, and network addresses that identify websites containing prohibited information.

According to the amendments introduced by Law No. 241-FZ, ISPs are required, within 24 hours from the moment of receipt of the relevant request from the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor), to restrict the ability of the user of the instant messaging service specified in this requirement to transfer electronic messages containing information, the dissemination of which is prohibited in the Russian Federation, as well as information disseminated in violation the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation. The ISPs that fail to meet this requirement can be blocked by the authorities.
According to the Art. 13.34 of the Administrative Offences Code (introduced in 2017), ISPs that do not block banned sites according to the information received from state regulator Roskomnadzor will be required to pay between 100,000-500,000 Rubles (approx. 1600 USD - 8500 USD) penalty. The officials of those legal entities (ISPs) will face fines of 5,000-30,000 Rubles (approx. 85 USD - 500 USD) for failing to implement Roskomnadzor’s instructions. If the actions are repeated during the year, the amount of penalties will be 30,000-50,000 Rubles (approx. 500 USD - 850 USD) for officials and 500,000-800,000 Rubles (approx. 8500 USD - 13500 USD) for ISPs.

The indicator "7.2.4 - Government Internet shut down in practice" of the V-Dem Dataset, which measures whether the government has the technical capacity to actively make internet service cease, thus interrupting domestic access to the internet or whether the government has decided to do so, has a score of 2 in Russia for the year 2025. This corresponds to "The government shut down domestic access to the Internet several times this year."

According to Art. 12 of Federal Law No. 128-FZ, companies need to acquire a license in order to be engaged in distributing encryption facilities, maintaining encryption facilities, providing encryption services, and developing and manufacturing encryption facilities protected by means of encryption.

Appendix No. 2 to the Decision of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission No. 30 of 21 April 2015 (“On Measures of Non-Tariff Regulation”) sets out the Union-wide list of goods restricted for import into the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), including Russia. The list includes, among others, (i) radio-electronic and high-frequency equipment for civilian use—devices for transmitting or receiving voice, images, or data (e.g., headings in HS 8471, 8517–8519, 8521, 8525–8528, 8531, and certain Chapter 90 items); (ii) systems and receivers for technical radio monitoring and for detecting sources of electromagnetic emissions (e.g., HS 8526–8527); and (iii) encryption (cryptographic) means, including computing machines and parts with cryptographic functions, computer devices incorporating encryption, and standalone cryptographic software (selected subheadings of HS 8471/8473 and 8523).

It is reported that foreign stakeholders have indicated that the Russian Government does not consistently publish all regulations, judicial decisions, and administrative rulings of general application relating to customs matters. In addition, foreign exporters report that the enforcement of customs regulations varies considerably across regions and ports of entry, and that regulatory changes are often frequent and unpredictable, thereby increasing costs and causing delays at the border.

While there is a safe harbour for copyright infringement under Federal Law No. 187-FZ, "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights in Information and Telecommunication Networks", the country lacks a safe harbour for activities beyond copyright infringement. According to Art. 13.34 of Federal Law No. 18-FZ, "On Amendments to the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offences" (introduced in 2017), ISPs that fail to block banned sites as instructed by the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) are liable to fines ranging from RUB 100,000 to RUB 500,000 (approx. USD 1,600 – USD 8,500). Officials of these legal entities (ISPs) face fines between RUB 5,000 and RUB 30,000 (approx. USD 85 – USD 500) for non-compliance with Roskomnadzor’s directives. If such violations are repeated within a year, penalties increase to RUB 30,000–RUB 50,000 (approx. USD 500 – USD 850) for officials and RUB 500,000–RUB 800,000 (approx. USD 8,500 – USD 13,500) for ISPs.

Law No. 97-FZ and the corresponding government decrees, Decree No. 758 and Decree No. 801, have established several requirements regarding the identification of Wi-Fi users in public places, such as parks, hotels, cafeterias, restaurants, clubs, cinemas and shopping malls, among others. The Act and the decrees require that
- ISPs must identify Internet users by means of identity documents (such as passports);
- ISPs must identify terminal equipment by determining the unique hardware identifier of the data network;
- All legal entities in Russia must provide ISPs on a monthly basis with the list of persons connecting to the Internet using their network.

Amendments introduced by Federal Law No. 241 prohibit the anonymous use of instant message (“IM”) services. Providers are obliged to identify users of the instant messaging service by the subscriber number of the mobile radiotelephone operator in the manner established by the Government of the Russian Federation, on the basis of an identification agreement concluded by the organiser of the instant messaging service with the mobile radiotelephone operator.

According to Art. 1253, intermediaries are not liable for third-party content unless they knew or ought to have known that infringing material was being used illegally on their service. It is reported that the article contains a “constructive knowledge” clause that may incentivise intermediaries to monitor their services in order to locate “illegal” material.

In December 2022, Russia signed a law requiring platforms to monitor content and remove “LGBT propaganda,” adding this term to the list of information that is illegal to distribute online. In April and October 2022, the platform TikTok was fined for refusing to remove “LGBT propaganda” and promoting “homosexual relations.”

Russia has a national telecommunications regulator, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and the Mass Media (Roskomnadzor). Nonetheless, available reporting suggests that its decision-making autonomy is constrained. Roskomnadzor is institutionally subordinate to the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media, a relationship that significantly limits its independence from executive authority.

Art. 18.5 of Federal Law No. 152-FZ provides that during personal data collection, including through the Internet, the data operator shall ensure that databases located within the Russian Federation are used to record, systematise, accumulate, store, update, modify and retrieve personal data of Russian citizens. However, the requirements do not apply to companies that do not receive the data directly from either data subjects or such third parties or inadvertently in the course of normal business activity. Moreover, provided that personal data, when initially collected, is placed in a primary database located and maintained in Russia, personal data contained in the database may then be transferred abroad and placed in other secondary databases, provided the requirements for data transfers are complied with. As a result, once personal data is collected, it shall be placed in the database located in Russia (i.e., the primary database). All mentioned operations on the data should be carried out locally. Afterwards, the data can be transferred abroad for further processing (i.e., to the secondary database).
It is reported that since 2015, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) has been active in enforcing the above-mentioned measure. For instance, in November 2016, subject to the claim from Roskomnadzor, the court in Moscow restricted access to the LinkedIn social network due to the breach of the measure. Further cases mostly included administrative fines, which were also issued to major multinational companies, including Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly Facebook, Inc.), Twitter, Inc. and later WhatsApp LLC, Google LLC, Airbnb, Inc., Apple, Inc., Twitch Interactive, Inc., United Parcel Service, Inc., Pinterest, Inc., Likeme Pte. Ltd., Ookla, LLC., Snap Inc., Match Group, LLC, Hotels.com, L.P., Spotify AB, and Zoom Video Communications, Inc. Some companies also faced repeated higher fines.
The Code of Administrative Offences establishes fines of up to RUB 6 million (approx. USD 64,620) for the first offence and up to RUB 18 million (approx. USD 193,860) for the subsequent offence.